“The ending, I think, is really gonna throw people and it definitely involves Damon in a very cool way,” Ian teased. “I’m actually excited to see what happens.”

We’ve been getting a lot of hints that Damon will play a big role in the Season 5 finale — potentially in a self-sacrificial way. Executive producer Julie Plec told E! Online:"There's quite a lot of suffering and celebration in the last two episodes. Because of Markos' efforts to make the town of Mystic Falls a magic-free zone and the imminent destruction of the Other Side, lots of lives are in jeopardy and Damon has to, as he says, 'strap on his hero hair.'"

What might hero-hair-wearing Damon look like? (Now, we’re imagining Damon with Stefan’s ‘do.) According to the synopsis for the episode, Damon will be "heartbroken by an unexpected tragedy.” And it sounds like he will be fueling that heartbreak into action: “Damon comes up with a dangerous plan that relies on split-second timing from Jeremy and Matt,” which eventually “causes a massive explosion in Mystic Falls.” Um, does that mean the plan worked?

Whatever happens in the season finale, it sounds like we will be spending the summer hiatus asking questions. Ian said the finale was “definitely a cliffhanger” and told TV Guidethat “it will be Damon's big moment with another lady in Mystic Falls that will have people talking after the finale airs.” And the synopsis ends with this ominous line: “everyone is caught up in the confusion, leaving a trail of heroism, sacrifice, relief and despair." Yikes!

The Vampire Diaries airs Thursday nights at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.

Kayti Burt is a contributing writer for Wetpaint Entertainment with a penchant for all things pop culture. Follow her on Twitter and Google+!